Contextualization

Islam is much more than a religion, it is a way of life that encompasses cultural, political, and social aspects. The term Islam, in Arabic, means "submission" and is derived from a word that means "peace". The central message of Islam is one of unity and submission to Allah (God in Arabic). They believe in the prophecy of Muhammad as the last one, following a long line of prophets that began with Adam and included Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.

Born in the 7th century in the Arabian Peninsula, Islam won hearts and minds, and expanded geographically at an astonishingly fast pace. In less than a century, Islam spread throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Asia, and even parts of Europe, such as the Iberian Peninsula and the Balkans. The speed and scale of this expansion make it one of the most significant movements in world history.

Relevance of the Theme

Studying Islam and its expansion is not just about learning the history of a religion, but understanding more about the world we live in. America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, all these regions were, to some extent, influenced by this expansion. Today, Islam is the second largest religion in the world, with over 1.8 billion followers, or about 24% of the world's population.

Furthermore, the impacts of the birth and expansion of Islam still resonate today in society, culture, politics, and even the economy. For example, the division between Sunnis and Shiites, the two main sects of Islam, has roots in the early period of Islam's expansion and continues to be a source of tension in many countries today.

Practical Activity: "The Paths of Islam: A Historical and Geographical Journey"

Project Objective

This activity aims to provide students with a better understanding of the birth and expansion of Islam through research and recreation of the Islamic expansion route on an interactive map.

Detailed Project Description

Groups should create an interactive map on a platform of their choice (suggestion: Google Earth Pro, StoryMap, etc.), representing the expansion of Islam from its birth in Arabia to its borders in the 8th century.

Each group should focus on one of the following topics:

• The expansion to North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula.
• The expansion to the East, towards Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent.
• The expansion to South and Southeast Asia.

Groups should research and indicate on the map:

1. Key locations: The city of Mecca, Medina, Damascus, Baghdad, Cairo, Cordoba, and other relevant cities according to the chosen topic.

2. Trade and expansion routes: The routes that the Arabs used to move during the expansion.

3. Time markers: Indicate the approximate time of Islam's arrival in different regions.

For each location, students should provide:

• A brief description of the location's relevance to Islam.
• A brief account of the main historical events that took place there.
• Some representative images.

Required Materials

1. Internet access for research.
2. Access to a computer with the chosen mapping software.
3. Reliable sources of information (books, articles, documentaries, etc.)

Detailed Step-by-Step

1. Divide into groups of 3 to 5 members and choose one of the topics to focus your research on.
2. Start research in the suggested sources and others of your choice, focusing the research on the chosen topic.
3. Find key locations and routes that should be marked on your interactive map.
4. Develop descriptions and accounts for each location.
5. Collect representative images to attach to the map.
6. With all information gathered, start developing the interactive map.
7. After finishing the map, prepare a presentation for the class explaining the work done.
8. Review your map and presentation before the presentation date.

Project Deliverables

1. Interactive map: To be presented to the class and delivered through a link.
2. Presentation: 10 to 15 minutes long, where you will explain the work done, the research and map construction process, and the main learnings.
3. Written report: Comprising Introduction (contextualizing the theme and project objective), Development (detailing the theory, activity, and methodology used, presenting and discussing the results), Conclusion (summarizing the main points and explaining the learnings and conclusions drawn from the project), and Bibliography (indicating the sources used).

Remember that the report should be coherent and complementary to the work done in the project, enriching the set of deliverables with written and detailed information about the entire research and production process.